We have decided to publish a number of statements from Jack's friends and colleagues, in the knowledge that even the most commonplace of details can sometimes provide a fresh lead.

Maria Lorski
The last time I spoke to my brother was when he called me from Prague in December, shortly before he disappeared. We were supposed to spend Christmas together with some mutual friends, but he made it clear he was working on something important. He didn't say any more than that. He didn't need to: I know him inside-out, and I could tell he was onto a scoop. I guess every journalist dreams of finding the scoop of a lifetime, and when it actually happens it's easy to throw caution to the wind. For Jack, work has always come first, and until now he's always found his way out of the trickiest situations. But this time I'm scared, because the motives of the man who has kidnapped them seem utterly irrational.

Anne Leman
We usually have a pretty close understanding at work. Jack and I often share about sensitive cases. I knew he was investigating a serial killer, but he'd often just make a joke about it. Up until the October prior to his disappearance, Jack still came to the Agency regularly: he was working on other cases in parallel. Several of us noticed that he was wrapped up in his investigation. In the last weeks before he disappeared, he only sent me a few e-mails. In one of them he asked me to do some quick research into the cult of Mithra. I still don't see what that had to do with his investigation, but I sent him a summary of everything I could find on the subject.

Paul Gilson
Jack is my friend and I am really upset about his disappearance. I could see this case was taking on a special importance for him - it was "his" case. He wouldn't talk to me about it. He said it was for my protection, that another journalist on the case had been killed and that he himself was taking a big risk. He told me that the various police forces in Europe didn't cooperate properly, and that they didn't believe his theory. How can the same killer have committed so many murders in places thousands of miles apart in a few short months? And why?

Matt Gillian
Jack and I share an office, and I was there at the end of November when his regular police contact in Britain called him on his mobile: there had been a new string of killings in Germany. I remember him repeating a German-sounding name: something like "Gerd Handke" or "Hank". Then he went back to his desk, next to mine, and called Karen to tell her there had been a development. He looked very nervous. Half an hour later - I was coming back from doing some photocopies - I bumped into him in the corridor. He seemed to be in a big hurry. He said he had to go, and there was no time to explain. When I saw the look in his eyes, I got the feeling he had just found out something important - something he had always feared would happen, and which finally had.

Karine Bodinger
For a moment, when the first photo arrived at the Agency, we thought it might be a sick joke. But we had to face it: this was definitely Karen. I had met her once in Paris, over lunch with Jack, and although her face was thinner I recognised her straight away. It was then that we knew for sure they had been kidnapped. When we found about the CD-ROM, well, that was an even crueller touch. If the killer reads these lines, I implore him to spare Jack and Karen's lives and to get back in contact to tell us what he wants us to do.